Thoughts from Nicole McDermott

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Doing Hard Things

“I can do hard things” has become a new mantra for me. Over the summer, I did something that was hard for me for a day. After that day was over, I did it for another day. And then another. And not too long later, I realized I had been doing it for a month.

And now I’ve been doing that same hard thing (which does not feel quite as hard as it once did) for sixty-four days.

It felt really hard for me to do. And it was.

But, I can do hard things.

The longer it went on, although it would have been so easy at any point to break my habit, the stronger, the more liberated, the more empowered I felt.

Doing this one hard thing buoyed my sense that I could do other hard things.

So, I decided to try another hard thing.

And now I’m on Day 29 of doing that hard thing.

Yay!

Here’s an important truth about hard things: what’s hard for me may not be hard for someone else, and what’s hard for someone else may not be hard for me. Hard things are personal.

The first hard thing – the thing I haven’t done in sixty-four days – is kind-of a ridiculous thing. If you asked me what it was, I probably would not tell you. It is also kind-of an important thing – for me. And that’s what that matters. It was something I knew was good for me, something that would help move me forward and grow.

I think that’s the best kind of hard thing I could do. And it’s the reason why hard things are worth my time, attention and celebration – and why this was a good reminder that it doesn’t matter what the hard thing is, it only matters that someone is doing it.

I can do hard things.

You can do hard things.

We can do hard things.

A new sign in the hallway at school reminds students, teachers and staff of the same message. Thank you, Barn Owl Primitives!

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One thought on “Doing Hard Things”

This entry articulates what I have felt before, but haven’t been able to describe, and I was not able to motivate myself to begin. My friend and I have often said, just change one habit, at a time, practice it, and then when you accomplish that, it becomes routine, and then it is not a “new” thing anymore that requires energy and focus. Then you can choose a new habit to begin. Life can be so overwhelming when we try to change too many things at once. Then we set ourselves up for failure. Then we are paralyzed to move forward with our goals. Thank you for writing this in a way that helps me make a plan for moving forward with some delayed goals……